The present invention relates to axle assemblies in vehicles having brackets secured thereto.
In general, conventional axle assemblies have many components secured to the axle connecting the axle to the vehicle frame.
The components interconnecting the axle to the frame provide the desired suspension geometry and damping characteristics for the suspension assembly. For example, shock absorbers may be supported on the axle and connected to the frame to dampen inputs from the roadway. Suspension arms may be connected to the axle to provide a desired suspension geometry and support air springs that provide a desired spring rate. Furthermore, torque rods may be attached to the axle to further determine the suspension geometry during articulation of the axle relative to the vehicle frame.
Inverted portal axles are typically used for bus applications to enable a lower floor height in the aisle between the passenger seats. Typically, one or more bosses are machined on the axle to provide attachment points for the suspension arms, which are secured to the axle by fasteners. Similarly, additional bosses are machined onto the axle to provide support for torque rods or other suspension components. In the case of torque rods for an inverted portal axle, brackets have been secured to these additional bosses, which are remote from the suspension arm bosses, and the torque rods are secured to the brackets using additional fasteners.
Several drawbacks exist with the above arrangement. The area available on the axle to accommodate each component is rather limited. This in turn limits the number of components that may be accommodated on the axle and also the position on the axle where the components may be located. Second, each component secured to the axle has typically required machining the axle to create a boss, which is costly. Moreover, each component attached to the axle has required a separate set of fasteners. As a result, prior art axle assemblies have reduced design flexibility and increased component costs and manufacturing time.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved arrangement for securing components to the axle while minimizing machining and fasteners to reduce cost.